This one was a little more depressing then I expected, which I should have expected with the premise. A widow decides to move to Ireland for a fresh start and meets a mortician who needs to get married to save his family owned funeral home. But, the majority of the story is hopeful and, of course, has a happy ending. Both main characters were likeable and the author seemed to do a good job of portraying grief and anxiety. Will be recommending this one to romance reader who like an interesting premise and a good story. (Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons and Netgalley for the ARC)

This was such a fun read! I picked this due to the name but stayed for a truly great story!! A love a true friends to lovers story and this gave me ALL the angst and longing between them!!
I couldn’t wait for them to get together and every step made it that much more rewarding in the end. Loved it so much and definitely will be a book I recommend all my friends to read!!

Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks was an absolutely adorable romance that I highly recommend to anyone! So much so that when I saw the ARC was available for request I couldn’t help myself and requested it!

Morbidly Yours centers on Lark, an American women who moves to Ireland for a marketing position, next door to the funeral parlor run by Callum, a quiet distant fellow. Lark finds herself wanting to get closer to Callum, to understand why he is the way he is. Clearly, Callum has more to him that meets the eye. But so does Lark, and the two find themselves drawing closer as their secrets come out.

Featuring an excellent cast of side characters as well as disability representation, this romance is highly recommended for all readers. It may follow the standard romance tropes, yet the uniqueness that Fairbanks brings to her characters gives it the life it needs to set it apart from the other romances out there.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam and Sons for the advanced reader copy!

I have been recommending this book to everyone! An amazing story with characters you will fall in love with. I laughed so hard at one point while reading, I had to get out of bed so I would not wake up my husband. It has all the feels though, because there were definitely times my eyes filled with tears. Truly, storytelling at it's best. I will read this book again and again and never get tired of it. I can't wait for whatever the author writes next. Read this book, you will not regret it.

I unfortunately had a really hard time connecting with this book. I’m not sure if it was me, but I really struggled with the pacing and the characters. I found the female main character to be a little too
unlikable and she never truly grew on me. The side characters were the best part of the book for me, and I wouldn’t be opposed to reading more about them in future.
The book felt a little slow, and I’m not sure if it was the writing or my lack of connection with the 2 main characters, but I found myself just powering through the last 20%.
I enjoyed the writing style and the inclusion of Irish language and culture throughout the course of the book, and think that with other characters, I would have really enjoyed her writing and storytelling.

Widowed Lark Thompson has left Austin for Galway, Ireland and a promising animation job. Unbeknownst to her, she rented a place next to undertaker Callum, a man in a serious predicament: he must marry to inherit his grandfather’s business and home, a place he dearly loves. Lark is bright to Callum’s dark, and she befriends the introverted undertaker and helps him loosen up and hopes to potentially help him find true love. What happens next is both unexpected and expected as the two manage being neighbors, friends, and eventually lovers.

Wow, this one was different! I loved how the main characters were not what you would expect - in so many ways. We get to explore grieving, asexuality, harassment, stuttering, while still achieving a super hot level of spice. I like how layered this book is, it feels deeper and more complex than some rom-coms. I feel like there were a few problems with pacing early on, but this was resolved by mid-book as the story evolved and changed. I could have done with a fewer number of undertaker jokes - there were A LOT. All in all, I liked the book, Galway was a fun setting, and I like how another book is set up in the end pages. I will definitely read more Ivy Fairbanks. This book was fun and different than the ones I usually read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was everything I wanted it to be! Truly so glad I picked this one up.

Such a fun, quick read. The characters fit so perfectly together. Callum is going on my book bf roster & im not sorry about it!

I think this is a perfect book to go blind into if you’re into doing that, that’s what I did I had forgotten the synop by the time I got to this book & honestly I loved every second of this book.

This was my first read by Ivy Fairbanks & far from my last, I can’t wait to read book 2!

This was such a refreshingly cute little romance! I read it right after 2 big fantasy books and it was just the palate cleanser I needed!

The spice was goooodd and still very tasteful! Loved the Irish elements and the storyline (while predictable in parts) was sweet! I also love the Demisexual rep!

This book is such a perfect balance of rom com and pulling on your heartstrings. Callum and Lark are both such lovable characters even though they both have flaws and things they’re working through.

Morbidly Yours
by Ivy Fairbanks
Pub Date Aug 20 2024

Tropes involved include: he falls first, friends with benefits, and grumpy x sunshine {LOVE me a good Grumpy x Sunshine}.

The dynamic between Lark and Callum was an absolute delight to dive into. Lark's struggles with self-acceptance resonated deeply, making her character incredibly relatable. Surprisingly, Callum, an undertaker, emerged as a character I unexpectedly grew to adore. His profession adds a unique twist to the narrative, and witnessing his gradual transformation alongside the vibrant and unconventional Lark was thoroughly engaging.

While themes of mortality can often tread into unfamiliar territory, Ivy skillfully incorporates them, making Callum's role as an undertaker feel organic and true to his character. Despite some foreseeable plot points, Ivy's mastery of storytelling kept me hooked from start to finish. Her prose is enchanting, effortlessly drawing readers into the world she has crafted.

Overall, I found myself reluctant to set this book aside, eagerly anticipating Ivy's future literary endeavors.

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Loved this book! I love a beta hero and callum was so well developed. I love reading a book where I get a peek into a world I know nothing about - like mortuary science! Great spice but it never felt like it was just jammed in - definitely added to the character development. I would love to read a sequel with Larks cousin!

I got the chance to read this arc when it was self-published and again now that it's gotten picked up by a publisher and I am excited to see what this author has in store.

I enjoyed this book so much! It took me a while to read and get into, I think it definitely started slow but I loooove Ireland set books and this one didn’t miss 🫶🏻👏🏻 Cal is such a golden retriever, I love him so much.

shut up i loved this book. i’m gonna need to find me a broody mortician. i’m a sucker for unconventional rom coms and this one has been one of my favorites. Lark and Callum are the complete opposite but fit together SO well. their banter and relationship is so damn cute and i love how she brought out the joy and confidence in him and how fiercely he loves her. the spice was also really nice and very much appreciated and not what i was expecting just bc of Cal’s demeanor but MAN my mind changed quick lol. in the end i was so happy for both of them and that they both got what they wanted and deserved. this book made me tear up and also laugh and made me want to go to Ireland. 5/5

4.25⭐️

ARC kindly provided by publisher via NetGally for an honest review.

What a breath of fresh air this was! It was goofy and cute while also being full of heartbreak and healing. This book was like a warm hug, i loved it and could not put it down!

Morbidly Yours
By: Ivy Fairbanks
Rate: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Take Blurb:

A very social Texan woman, Lark, moves to Ireland for a job, but she’s running from the past life she had with her husband who passed away, and of course, she blames herself for his death. Her new home is next door to an undertaking business. YIKES! But it gets better because the guy, Callum, who runs it is very socially awkward. I mean who isn’t socially awkward at some point, but this poor guy would rather dig his own grave than take someone out to dinner and a movie. So, of course, they become BFFs. But Callum has to marry before his 35th birthday to keep his family’s undertaking business (it was a clause in a will 🙄). Lark is willing to marry Callum to save his business but he refuses!!! What is he going to do?

Review:

Heads up: Grief is a HUGE component in this book.
What a great debut novel. I’ve never yelled “JUST KISS ALREADY” in my head so many times while reading a book. In general, I enjoyed this book, but it didn’t tick all of my boxes.

As a fellow Texan woman myself I didn’t think that Lark was over the top with the whole Texas personality. That erks me to no end when they overplay someone from Texas. I liked that she was an animator and Callum was an undertaker because the two careers had a night and day difference. I like it when books give careers to the characters that aren’t prevalent jobs for the characters. Lark and Callum are very cute together, and their friendship really helped both of them to get over the grief and other things that their lives threw at them.

Absolutely fantastic! I was laughing out loud and that was not something I expected from a book that includes a funeral home as a setting. Seeing Lark and Callum work their way through becoming friends and becoming more was perfect. Lark's story really resonated with me and just seeing her work through guilt and loss as she develops a new relationship had me feeling so hopeful.

Rating: 4 ⭐️
Spice: 2/5 🌶️

Oh my god, who know a story involving death could be so romantic!!!!! I love love loved this book- the chemistry and banter between Lark and Callum was amazing. The friends to lovers with a heavy dose of pining that ends up in such a wonderful relationship… I die. I usually *hate* friends to lovers but this was so well done. Callum is an angel of a human and I want to find a man like him (though I could go without the undertaker as a job lol).

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I can’t wait to see what Ivy Fairbanks publishes next!!

For how amazing the cover and dsescription are this book seems to fall flat for me.
While it was refreshing to see an author talk about concepts not normally written about it just didnt hit a home run.
The book is about loss, grief and finding yourself again a long the way. There is some comedic touches added and if they didnt constantly state she lost her husband you would never guess any of it from the way she carries herself, friendships or job. It seems the concept of grief didnt stick enough so it had to keep being thrown at us.
I think what really hurt this book is there are too many plots being chosen..
falling for your neighbor
quirky meets extrovert
marriage of convienience
grief bonding
and the quirky comedy was forced so much it became quite annoying/overdone.

I LOVED THIS

1. The way the main man had a stammer that is treated with the utmost respect by more characters in this book while also highlighting the struggles that come with it because certain members of society can’t be bothered to give some respect…perfection. I cried and sobbed by this. I needed this kind of representation in my life….as someone who stays silent in most situations because of it, I have always wanted some kind of representation as is in this book.

2. The way Lark finally reached inside of herself and stood her ground over her designs and animations….AMAZING! We love a strong woman who learns how to stand their ground!

3. All Hail Dolly Parton!